Automatic electric-lighting system.



J. W. PREES & L. WINTER. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 2, 1910.

994,145, Patented Jung 6, 1911.

IHHHIS lmblmemw UNITED STATES NT v iTOHN W. FREES AND LOUIS WINTER, OFREADING, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIQ-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

LG automatilcelectric lighting systems and ourv object is ito provide asystem in which the battery i autoinatically charged when its condition'r eqnires a charge and the current is being used one in which the engineis l started only when current is being used and one in which, whencurrent is not. being used, the battery is disconnected from all otherunits in the system.

The arrangement is such that the turning on of lights or the use oi,current for any purpose, will, if the battery requires a charge,immediately start the engine and generator to charge the battery, andwhen the use of current ceases, the battery is disconnected from thesystem provided the battery has attained its maximum charge. If,

however, when the use of current ceases, the' battery is not fullycharged, it will continue.

to operate until such full charge has been attained when it willautomatically stop the engine and generator, in other Words, a system inwhich .the use of current causes an instrun'ient to close a circuit bywhich the system is placed in position to operate, an

automatic electric lighting: plant.

The invention is more fully described in the following s jiccilicationand clearly illi|stratcd in theaccompanying drawing which shows adiagram o'l our system.

The numeral 1 designates the generator which is shown as-a shunt woundinstrument; 2 designates the engine; 3 the sloran'elmttery and 4 thelights; 5 is the iguilioncoil.

()n the light circuit A we place a devicdii'i the form o'fa solenoid 6con'iprising a coil action will bring a high resistance solenoid 8 whichis in circuit therewith, across the terminals of the battery. -Th1sinstrument 8 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June t. 191 1.

cation filed May 2, 1910. Serial No. 558,750.

thus brought into circuit will permit closing either contact 9 or 10 bythe core moving up or down, depending on the voltage of the battery.

When the core is in lower position, indicating low voltage, and closing:contact 10, 'itwill energize a magnet 11. lhis energizing of magnet 11will cause the lever 12 to be drawn toward it at the one end, 13, whichend is provided with contacts Ll adapted to close the circuit betweenthe battery and the generator and cause the generator to operate as amotor, and, being connected with the en gine, start the movement of theengine. -lVhen the lever 12 is drawn down, as just de scribed, theopposite end 15 will close the ignition circuit 17, leading to theengine and produce the initial explosion. When the engine hasattainednormal speed it will operate the instrument 1 as a generator and throughit charge the battery. When the battery is fully charged, the core inthe solenoid 8 will contact at 5) thus energizing the opposite magnet 21and drawing the lever 12 away from contacts 14 and '17 and the engineand generator will stop.

When the lever 12 is moved to close the circuits as first abovedescribed, the end 15, will, in addition to closing contact 17, alsoclose auxiliary contacts 22, in parallel with the contact 7. Thiscircuit is closed whenever the generator is in operation so that in casecontact 7 is broken, by reason of the fact that no-currcnt is beingused, the instrument 8 will rcinain in circuit in order to permit magnet21 to be energized by contact 9, at maximum voltage, through whiclrallconncctiou to the battery is broken.

it is evident that when the lights are turned on and the battery needs acharge, the system is at once automatically started and the batterycharged, if when the lights are turned. on the battery does not need a.charge, it will not start the system,- but, the starting), of the systemis at all times dependent on the use of: current. When no current-isbeing used thebattery is disconnected from the entire system.

0 are aware ,that automatic electric' lighting systems have been devisedin which the starting and sto pingof the engine hasv been accomplishedhrou'gh means responsive to thecondition of the char e of the battery,and we do not desire to c aim such as our invention, 'but v What we doclaim and desire to secure by 5 Letters Patent is:

In an automatic electric generating systeni the combination of anexplosive engine; an electric generator; :1 storage battery; a dischargecircuit; magnetic means in the 1 discharge circuit adapted to operate byany discharge from the battery; additional cir- -cuits capable of beingclose'd by the oper ation of said magnetic means, which rcuits controlthe stoppin of the stem whenever a predetermined igh vdl tage point is15 reached and the sta'rtin of the system when a predetermined low v0tage point isreached only while current is being used.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures, in presence of two witn.

JOHN W. FREES'. LOUIS WINTER.

